Waffle Cabin Founder Peter Creyf, Living a Sweet American Dream
Sometimes the best food businesses begin with a simple question: Why doesn’t this exist here yet?
For Peter Creyf, the answer came in the form of the beloved Belgian Liège waffle—caramelized pearl sugar, crisp on the outside, soft inside, and best eaten hot from the iron. Today his company, Waffle Cabin, serves those waffles at ski resorts across the United States, filling mountain air with an irresistible aroma that skiers and snowboarders happily follow.
Our connection goes back further than Peter even remembered. Over a decade ago, when I published a recipe for Liège waffles on Whipped The Blog, he kindly jumped into the comments to help readers troubleshoot and even offered advice about sourcing authentic pearl sugar. Recently I noticed something funny in my blog analytics: people searching for “Waffle Cabin waffle recipe” were landing on my post—clearly hoping to recreate the experience at home after a ski trip.
That curiosity led me back to Peter, whose path to waffles is far from traditional. A trained pilot turned entrepreneur, he built a business around one simple but powerful idea: the right food, in the right place, at the right moment.
I spoke with Peter about mentors, failed early attempts, and why ski resorts turned out to be the perfect home for a hot waffle.
How did you end up in the waffle business?
My background actually has nothing to do with baking. I trained as a pilot and came to the United States for flight school. I loved it here, and it planted the seed that maybe someday I would come back to live in America.
But I graduated right after the Gulf War, when aviation jobs basically disappeared. Airlines weren’t hiring and people were afraid to fly. So I had to start thinking about doing something else.
Around that time my mom’s husband, my second dad, suggested waffles. I laughed and said, “I don’t know anything about waffles.” But he came from a family of bakers and chocolatiers and knew people in the industry. He started making connections, which led to my waffle mentor, Leo.
Leo was the one who really took me under his wing. After meeting one afternoon in Belgium, he said, “You sound like a good young guy. I’ll help you.” And he did. Even today when I visit Belgium, I make a point of stopping to see him. We’ve stayed close friends.
For readers who may not know, what exactly is a Liège waffle? And how is it different from the waffles most Americans are used to?
A Liège waffle is very different from what most Americans think of as a Belgian waffle. Those are usually the Brussels style: light, fluffy waffles made from batter with deep pockets for toppings like whipped cream or fruit.
A Liège waffle is made from a yeast dough, more like a brioche, so it’s richer and denser. It is also sometimes called Gaufres de Liège, sugar waffle, or pearl sugar waffle. The real magic is the pearl sugar mixed into the dough. When the waffle cooks in the iron, those sugar pieces melt and caramelize, creating little crunchy pockets of sweetness on the outside.
That’s why you’ll often see them eaten plain, right out of the waffle iron. They don’t really need syrup or toppings. In Belgium they’re often sold as street food, something you grab warm and eat while walking around and that’s exactly the experience we try to recreate at Waffle Cabin.
What made you think Belgian waffles could succeed in the United States?
The idea really came from realizing how many incredible foods exist in Europe that Americans rarely experience in their authentic form. When I first came to the U.S., I kept thinking about how much opportunity there was to bring those traditions here.
But the beginning wasn’t easy. The first two years were really tough. We started in the Boston area, and honestly it was everything but a success story. At that time everyone I talked to who had tried something similar had horror stories. They said the waffles were great, but the businesses failed.
In retrospect I’m actually grateful for that painful learning curve. It forced me to analyze what wasn’t working and figure out how to fix it.
What turned things around?
The product itself wasn’t the problem. The problem was the venue.
I kept thinking about what conditions would make the experience perfect, where people would truly crave a hot waffle. Eventually I realized ski resorts checked every box.
If you think about it, it’s like selling ice cream on a beach. A warm waffle on a cold mountain just works!
We tested the idea during the Christmas season around 1999–2000, and after the first week I could already tell it had potential. That’s when things really started to take off.
The aroma of these waffles when they bake is part of the experience. How important is it for Waffle Cabin?
It’s huge.
When we bake waffles fresh, the aroma carries outside the stand and people literally follow the smell. That sensory moment is incredibly powerful.
But the other part is the recipe itself. Our waffles are designed specifically to be eaten fresh out of the waffle iron. I spent a lot of time experimenting, touching the dough, stretching it, testing different approaches, trying to make the recipe better every time.
Between Leo’s teaching, my stepfather’s baking knowledge, and my own stubborn experimentation, we ended up with a waffle recipe that really shines when it’s served hot and fresh.
Most Waffle Cabin locations are at ski resorts. Do you see opportunities beyond that?
Yes, definitely.
One of the key ingredients for success with this concept is volume. You need a lot of people. When there’s a crowd, the waffles really shine because we can produce them quickly and serve them fresh.
That’s why mobile setups like food trucks or trailers work well too. They allow you to go exactly where the people are: concerts, festivals, big events. Anywhere there’s a crowd and the smell of waffles can travel.
You’ve mentioned before that people develop real traditions around Waffle Cabin. Do you see families coming back year after year?
Absolutely. That’s one of the most rewarding parts of this whole journey.
Once, I was working at one of the waffle cabins during a busy President’s Day weekend. I had dropped my car off at the parking lot and was taking the shuttle bus up to the lodge. It’s only about a five-minute ride.
Sitting behind me on the bus was a mom and her daughter, maybe five or six years old. They were talking, and at some point the little girl said, “Mommy, can I get a waffle today?”
What struck me was that this wasn’t even an impulse moment yet. Normally people smell the waffles and think, Oh, I want one. But this little girl was already thinking about it before we even got there.
That really showed me what we had built.
What I love about that is that the waffle becomes part of the memory of the trip. It’s not just a snack. It’s tied to the day on the mountain, being with family, being outside, celebrating winter together. When food becomes part of those moments, it means something much bigger.
After building Waffle Cabin for so many years, what’s next for you?
At this stage, I’m starting to think about the next chapter. I’ve spent decades building Waffle Cabin and I’m incredibly proud of what it has become, but I’m also starting to think about the future.
I’m open to finding the right buyer for the business, someone who appreciates the brand, the product, and the experience we’ve created. Waffle Cabin has grown into something really special, and I’d love to see it continue to thrive with someone who wants to take it into its next phase. There is so much untapped potential.
For me personally, the plan is to eventually return to Belgium and enjoy a little more time there. But I’ll always have a soft spot for the waffles and the community that formed around them here in the United States.
Thank you, Peter! Find my recipe for Liège Waffles below, and links to learn more about Peter and Waffle Cabin.
Recipe and instructions for making Liège Waffles at home.
Learn more about Waffle Cabin on their website and find locations for Waffle Cabins.
Follow Waffle Cabin on Instagram @Wafflecabinfranchising
